One of the things I love about living in LA is just how many different kinds weekend trips you can take from here, and how easy it is to do it! Within a few hours, you can get to the high desert, alpine mountains, wine country, a Scandinavian village, or even more coastline than you could realistically cover in a lifetime of Fridays.

That said, a problem I always see with most LA weekend trip lists is that they’re organized by distance. And sure, that’s helpful, but I often think it’s more helpful to know when to go where instead. After all, if you’re from LA (or just visiting), you already know you’re going to be driving a lot anyway and, let’s be real, Palm Springs in July versus Palm Springs in January are not the same trip. So instead of going by distance, here’s my list of weekend trips from LA based on when you should visit!

SPRING Weekend trips from LA

Paso Robles

Paso Robles (affectionally known as Paso by locals) often gets overlooked in favor of Santa Ynez and Napa, and that’s exactly why it’s worth a weekend visit. I’ve been here more than a few times over the years, and must say that the rolling hills, budget friendly wine tastings, and farm-to-table cuisine never get old! Book a room at Farmhouse, sample olive oil at Pasolivo and organic wine at Halter Ranch, and do not skip dinner at Grace and Rose.

The Why: Wine country without the Napa price tag, at the exact moment the hillsides turn green and begin to bloom!

Exactly When To Go: Mid-March through early May, before the heat sets in and while the hills are still green

Drive Time: 3.5 hours.

Santa Barbara

If you’re looking for a Nancy Meyers-esque setting, Santa Barbara in spring is your gal. The jacarandas bloom purple in May, State Street doesn’t yet have that crazy summer chaos, and the Funk Zone is where you’ll want to spend a full afternoon drinking wine from Central Coast producers. Stay at the Hotel Californian if you are feeling indulgent, or Hotel Milo for something lower-key with water views.

The Why: The “American Riviera” is at peak form in spring, just go before summer crowds and “June Gloom”!

Exactly When To Go: Late April through May, for jacaranda season and pre-June Gloom weather

Drive Time: 1.5 hours.

Los Olivos

If you haven’t yet been to Los Olivos, I think you’re in for a real treat. Its small size is another spot that’s built perfectly for and around wine tasting. In fact, you can walk the entire downtown in ten minutes (without stops) and taste at eight wineries without moving your car once! It’s quiet, walkable, and it has a solid ratio of tasting rooms to boutiques to restaurants. Splurge on a room at The Inn (an Auberge Hotel) or book a short drive away The Ballard Inn, have dinner at Mattei’s Tavern, and go record shopping at the Wylde West Wreckerds.

The Why: A one-stoplight wine town that’s impossibly charming, and almost always warm when LA is still a bit moody.

Exactly When To Go: March to May, when wildflowers are out in the Santa Ynez hills and before the summer wine crowd arrives

Drive Time: 2.5 hours.

San Luis Obispo

On account of both my sisters having went to college in San Luis Obispo (SLO), I’ve been on weekend trips here more times than I can count. It’s a working city with a cute and walkable center, excellent food (Novo, Luna Red, Giuseppe’s), and a Thursday night farmers market that takes over the main drag. I’d save some time to walk and shop around the downtown area, and use the San Luis Creek Lodge or the Madonna Inn as base for day trips to Morro Bay, Avila Beach, and the Edna Valley wine region.

The Why: A college town with a charming downtown strip you’ll actually want to shop and explore, positioned as the ideal base for Central Coast exploration.

Exactly When To Go: April and May, for perfect weather and Cal Poly still in session (which keeps the town lively)

Drive Time: 3 hours

Yosemite

Yosemite is a longer weekend trip (I’d argue three days minimum), but late spring is when the park gives you the most mileage. Tioga Road is open, Tuolumne Meadows is finally accessible, and the valley floor is photographable and bike-able in just about every direction. Reserve The Ahwahnee if you plan six months out and want to splurge for the ultimate in-park experience or consider Yosemite View Lodge for a more affordable, just outside-the-park experience.

The Why: The waterfalls are still running, the high country is finally open, and the hiking is SO much easier without fighting the winter elements (snow!) or the summer crowds.

When To Go: May is best, as the park can sometimes receive snow through April

Drive Time: 4-5 hours (best for a long weekend)

Summer Weekend trips from LA

Santa Catalina Island

Catalina is essentially 1950s California charm that’s been preserved in amber. The island’s main town of Avalon is walkable, an the water is clear enough for snorkeling (an activity you’ll probably only want to do when the weather’s feeling pleasant), and the island has exactly zero chain hotels. Book the Mt Ada, which used to be the Wrigley mansion, or the Pavilion Hotel for something more accessible. Start your mornings at Catalina Coffee, rent a golf cart for the day (cars are restricted on the island), tour the Casino, and end your evenings with dinner at Bluewater Grill on the waterfront.

The Why: A breezy island weekend within reach of LA, and summer is the one time the ferry crossing is reliably calm

Exactly When To Go: June through August, when water visibility is at its peak (snorkeling! marine life!)

Ferry Time: 1 hour from Long Beach

Channel Islands

The Channel Islands feels like a secret even to people who have lived in LA for years! Santa Cruz Island is the most accessible of the five and has sea caves you can kayak into, hiking trails with virtually no crowds, and an endemic fox the size of a house cat. This is also a national park with no hotels, no restaurants, and no cell service. You can either day trip here from Ventura (which itself is only about an hour drive from LA) or you can camp and stay longer. Either way, book the Island Packers ferry months in advance, pack everything you need, and plan to kayak Scorpion Anchorage for the sea cave tour.

The Why: The least-visited national park in California is a boat ride from Ventura, and summer is the only window when the crossing and the water cooperate.

Exactly When To Go: July and August, when the crossing is calmest and the water is clear enough to see into the caves

Ferry Time: 1 hour from Ventura Harbor

Big Bear

Most Angelenos only go for ski season, but I’d argue Big Bear in summer is the time to visit. You can rent a pontoon for a day on the lake or paddleboard at sunrise if the water’s high enough, or hike the Castle Rock trail in the morning before the heat. And in between? You can settle into a cozy cabin, but with the weather to comfortably picnic and play just outside. Book a cabin Noble + Proper, grab coffee at Copper Q, have dinner at Tropicali (a surprise mountainside hit) and grab beers at The Bear Trap.

The Why: When LA is 95°F, Big Bear is 75°F… and on a lake!

When To Go: July and August, when the lake is warm and the town isn’t overcrowded with holiday skiers

Drive time: 2 hours

Idyllwild

Idyllwild sits at 5,400 feet in the San Jacinto Mountains, which means summer temperatures in the 70s while Palm Springs below is melting. The town itself is tiny, artsy, and full of pine trees. Hike to Tahquitz Peak, have coffee at Alpaca Coffee & Tea, and book a room at The Pinetree Hotel. This is the weekend trip to take when you’re to ready to disappear from modern life and into the trees with a great book.

The Why: A mountain escape nobody talks about and an easy place to disconnect

When To Go: June through August, for the temperature differential alone!

Drive time: 2.5 hours

Laguna Beach

Summer in Laguna Beach is quintessential California. The water here hits the mid-60s, making the ocean easily swimmable and surfable. On top of that, the Pageant of the Masters and the Festival of Arts run July through early September, which gives the weekend a built-in evening plan. The Pageant is the one where actors recreate famous paintings as living tableaux, which may sound a bit gimmicky but is actually so cool (real ones will remember the Festival of the Living Arts from Gilmore Girls Season 4! This is essentially the real life version of that). Stay at Hotel Joaquin for a more relaxed escape that’s a little further away from the downtown craziness, but still close to the coast. Start your morning early at Thousand Steps Beach and lock in dinner reservations at Oto Sushi ahead of time, and give yourself one slow afternoon at Heisler Park.

The Why: The quintessential coastal California summer of your dreams

When To Go: Late June through August, for great beach temperatures and the Pageant of the Masters running downtown

Drive time: 1.5 hours

Fall Weekend trips from LA

Ojai

Ojai is famous for the sunset glow that turns the Topatopa Mountains pink for about fifteen minutes each evening. It happens year-round, but fall is when the light is cleanest and the town is most pleasant for walking around (the summer heat has broken, the tourists have thinned). Stay at the Hummingbird Inn if you want some comfortable pool time, or Caravan Outpost for something creative and cabin-style. Pick up some lifestyle ware at Summer Camp, grab a book from Barts Books, eat at Tipple & Ramble or Hip Vegan, and end every evening on the east-facing porch of wherever you are staying.

The Why: The pink sunset, easy shopping, and great food!

Exactly When To Go: October and November, for golden light, cooler temperatures, and the best time of year for the pink sunset

Drive Time: 1.5 hours

Julian

Julian is one of my favorite fall escapes! The apple orchards are harvested from September through November so the town pulls out every autumn cliché you can imagine this time of year. And between all the pie competitions, cider stands, hayrides, Julian still somehow manages to feel charming, and not at all kitschy. Go for a historic room at the Julian Gold Rush Hotel, grab a slice at Mom’s Pie House, shop for gifts inside the spooky decorated Warm Hearth, go wine tasting at Blue Door Winery, and hike Volcan Mountain for an amazing view over the valley.

The Why: Apple season, a gold rush town frozen in time, and a bit more of a classic fall feel than you’d typically in Southern California

Exactly When To Go: Mid-September through early November, for peak apple picking!

Drive Time: 2.5 hours

Joshua Tree

Joshua Tree in summer is uninhabitable, but in the fall it hits a sweet spot with hikeable daytime temperatures and some of the best stargazing conditions. The summer heat typically breaks in October, with daytime temperatures dropping into the 70s and 80s. This time of year, you’ll get crisp hikes, golden-hour rock formations, and skies without all the crazy light pollution. Book an Airstream suite at Autocamp Joshua Tree, hike Hidden Valley, watch sunset from Keys View, and save yourself one night for stargazing.

The Why: The desert is more comfortable outside of the summer months, and the stargazing so much better when the high desert air is cool and dry.

Exactly When To Go: December through February for cool days and clear nights

Drive Time: 2.5 hours

Sequoia National Park

Sequoia often gets overshadowed by Yosemite, which is something you can use to your advantage during the shoulder seasons. The General Sherman Tree Trail and the Congress Trail are not just breathtaking, but must-have experiences for any Californian (or visitor!). Fall here gives you cool air, turning leaves in the foothills, and a road that isn’t as difficult to find parking on.Stay at Wuksachi Lodge inside the park, or AutoCamp Sequoia for some luxury glamping down in Three Rivers, just outside. And don’t miss Moro Rock, the Big Trees Trail, or Tunnel Log.

The Why: Giant sequoias, with lower crowds and nearby dogwoods turning gold

Exactly When To Go: Late September through October, before snow closes up the higher elevations

Drive Time: 3-4 hours

Winter Weekend trips from LA

Death Valley

It’s hard to even imagine the scale and beauty of Death Valley until you’re there: salt flats, sand dunes, badlands, and canyons that feel like Star Wars! Book The Inn at Death Valley if you want the historic oasis experience or The Ranch at Death Valley for something more relaxed. See Zabriskie Point at sunrise, Badwater Basin in the morning, Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes in the afternoon, and drive Artist’s Palette in the evening golden hour, when the minerals catch the light.

The Why: The closest you can feel to stepping onto another planet, but still within an stones throw of LA.

Exactly When To Go: December through February, for comfortable temperatures in the 60s and 70s instead of upwards of 120°F!

Drive Time: 4.5 hours

Palm Springs

Like Joshua Tree, Palm Springs in summer is a survival exercise. Unlike Joshua Tree, however, Palm Springs sits much lower in the desert, which means spring and fall are still quite toasty and most weekend vacationers are flocking here in droves (Coachella or Stagecoach, anyone?). If you’re wanting to experience the colorful mid-century architecture under a blue, but comfortable sky, I’d suggest visiting in the Winter! The city’s annual Modernism Week festival takes place in February which means events, specials, and exclusive tours you wouldn’t get normally get to experience! There’s so many amazing hotels you can stay at here, but the Colony Palms is my current favorite for it’s exclusive, without being pretentious vintage feel. Do a few architecture tours, grab lunch at Sherman’s Deli, shop on Palm Canyon, and enjoy a leisurely dinner at Bar Cecil, Mr. Lyons, or Sandfish.

The Why: The colorful mid-century modern architecture you won’t find anywhere else can finally be enjoyed and toured at comfortable temperatures.

Exactly When To Go: February, for Modernism Week!

Drive Time: 2-3 hours

Solvang

Solvang in December isn’t subtle. The entire town is lit up for Julefest from mid-November through New Year’s with candlelight tours, a tree lighting in the park, carolers in Scandinavian dress, and aebleskivers (Danish pancake balls) sold from nearly every corner. Stay at the Landsby for modern Scandinavian design. Walk the town in the evening, take a horse-drawn carriage ride, and plan at least one proper sit-down meal at Bar Le Côte in neighboring Los Olivos.

The Why: Christmas in a Danish village is picture-perfect and feels so cozy, and Solvang leans all the way in.

Exactly When To Go: Late November through December, for full Julefest programming

Drive Time: 2.5 hours

San Diego

San Diego winter weather is reliably in the 60s and 70s, the hotel rates drop from peak season, and the tourist attractions like Balboa Park, La Jolla, and Coronado are so much less crowded. Stay at the Hotel del Coronado for classic Southern California, or the Granger Hotel for something central, chic, and unpretentious. Walk La Jolla Cove, spend an afternoon in Balboa Park, and eat your way through Little Italy.

The Why: Seventy degrees and sunny in January, and no one else is thinking about a beach weekend

Exactly When To Go: January and February, for mild weather, lower rates, and a break from LA’s gray mornings

Drive Time: 2 hours